In Final Stretch Chamber, Manufacturers Blast Health Care Bill (VIDEO)

This may be the greatest example of mass cognitive dissonance in modern U.S. history. Businesses, small and large, have been complaining for decades about their difficulties in remaining competitive. Labor is the biggest variable in the equation, and health care costs make up a huge chunk of labor costs, both in direct costs, and indirect costs due to the need to employ people to manage employers' health insurance programs, and the need to hire and train additional workers to make up for time lost due to illnesses that were not timely treated. It cannot not be reasonably disputed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system, which provides substantially less quality than other comparable countries.

The solution is obvious. Businesses would save money if they got out of the business of providing health care. Manufacturers and the CoC should be at the front of the line advocating health care be unbundled from employment AND for universal access to affordable health care. Without the latter, competitive wages cannot cover the costs.

It costs $.44 cents for a business to send a letter through the U.S. mail, and $12.00 to have it picked up and delivered by a private company. It costs a small percentage of revenue to pay for public roads, sewers, police, fire and schools, but would break almost any business if it had to pay for these things, or pay employees enough to pay for these things from private providers. So to with health insurance.

Support U.S. business - Support affordable universal health care.